Tuesday, December 9, 2014

October's Ipsy Beauty Subscription Bag

Hey There!

Here's my review for the October 2014 ipsy bag, themed "beauty candy"!

Like Birchbox, it is a subscription service that costs $10 /month.  This month I got 5 beauty samples to test out!

This month's bag:

  • Albertini Warm Love Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask
  • Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Rose Berry
  • Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser
  • Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner
  • Starlooks Lip Gloss
I cannot get any of my pictures to work, so I found this really nice one from the internet!

Albertini Warm Love Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask

Review:
The smell of this mask is absolutely amazing! It gets a 5 for smell alone! It's really nice and I would totally recommend it!
Rating: 5/5
Figs & Rouge Hand Cream

Review: Another absolutely amazing smelling product! It's brilliant and fruity and I just want to eat it! I don't really like the way it makes my hands feel though....it's kind of greasy.

Rating:4/5

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser

Review: I love this product!! It doesn't really have a smell and does the job it promises. Very very nice facial cleanser!
Rating: 5/5

Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner

Review: Wonderful eyeliner!!! Super long lasting and easy to apply.  I can wear it without a primer, which is saying something!!
Rating: 5/5
Starlooks Lip Gloss

Review: This is the only product in this box I wasn't absolutely amazed with.  It's a nice color but a little hard to apply and not moisturizing at all. Not a comfortable wear.
Rating: 3/5

Overall October Ipsy Bag Rating: 22/25.

Wait...did Birchbox and Ipsy tie for October?? Crazy! I was very pleased with both boxes!

Thank you for reading!
<3 Riley

October's Birchbox Beauty Subscription box!

Hello All!

I thought I would keep the ball rolling from my blog post yesterday and post another today!

WOW! Two in a week? Is this Christmas? No, this is just how it should be! [My bad, apologies...]

So I'm going to put on some music and review some of the most recent beauty boxes I've received, for all of you!

I thought I would kick this off by reviewing the Birchbox from October 2014.  Birchbox was my first box I subscribed to, and I really like it.  Birchbox is a service that costs $10 /month.  For this, you get 4-5 beauty or lifestyle products, chosen specifically for you after you fill out a quiz.  Birchbox gives you smallish samples of upscale products.  They do beauty, but I've found that compared to the other boxes, they give you more skin care than anything else.  I am not complaining about this! I love that they specialize in upscale skin care!

Let's get into it....


A photo posted by Riley Liebel (@pikarilay) on
Above is my Instagram picture of the box I posted the day I got it.

October's box came with:


  • Mally Beauty High-Shine Liquid Lipstick Pen in Blossom
  • Essentiel Elements Wake Up Rosemary Shower Gel
  • ModelCo Power Lash Long Wear Black Mascara
  • Harvey Prince Petaly Noir Perfume
  • Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner



Starting with Mally Beauty High-Shine Liquid Lipstick Pen in Blossom.

Review:
I love this lipstick! It's a really cool concept and executed really well! It's kind of a lipstick, kind of a lipgloss.  It feels pretty nice on my lips, but because my lips are constantly super dry, I always wear it with chapstick.  It's a really pretty color on it's own, but looks really nice paired with other colors as well.
Rating:
5/5
I would actually buy this product.  I really like it.  I would go for another color, since I don't use lipstick up very fast.

Essentiel Elements Wake Up Rosemary Shower Gel

Review:
This is a really nice smelling shower gel! It has strong hints of mint as well, as it smell just like my mint shampoo!  It softens skin really nice and washes off well.
Rating:
4/5
I would not buy this product.  I'm picking with which shower products I buy, and even though I like the smell, it will probably take me a long time to use it, just because it isn't my favorite.

ModelCo Power Lash Long Wear Black Mascara

Review:
I LOVE THIS MASCARA! & I'm really picky when it comes to mascara! It gives eyes a really nice "60's look".  That's the only way I know how to describe it.  It has the perfect mixture of volume and length.
Rating:
6/5
I legitimately want more of this mascara! & I'm aware that I created and destroyed my own rating system, it's fine! ;]

Harvey Prince Petaly Noir Perfume

Review:
I love love love Harvey Prince fragrances! Ageless is my absolute favorite.  Petaly Noir is a much more sexy night-time scent, and I love it! Here's how Birchbox describes it, since I'm not a scent professional, "It’s inspired by long, moonlit walks and orchids in full bloom. But a single breath of this elegant scent reignited our belief in love at first sight (or, in this case, sniff). Rich with lush florals and hints of musk, this fragrance adds an instant air of romance—whether we’re taking that midnight stroll or gearing up for our morning commute."
It's lovely!
Rating:
5/5
I love this perfume! But since it is a little pricey, if I buy a Harvey Prince perfume it will be Ageless - Pink Grapefruit!

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner

Review:
I do like this product, but it's a little drying on my skin, perhaps since you're supposed to wash your face before you use it, and my face cannot really handle that kind of thing.  I think it's really cool that it changes color on your face when it's ready to wash off though!
Rating:
2/5
I will use up my entire sample, and I am glad that I have it, but I'm just not super keen on it!

So....as an overall rating for this box, I would give it a B, which I found by literally averaging all of my scores! I really really enjoy some of the products, but do like all of them as a whole!

Hope you enjoyed this review, I will be reviewing all of my other October and November boxes, so keep your eyes open! :]

<3 Riley

P.S., as usual, feel free to leave your opinions in the comments!


Monday, December 8, 2014

December Update!

Hello All!

This month has already been crazy busy.  My 8th anniversary with my boyfriend was yesterday, as well as my holiday party for work.  I had to go early to help set up and we didn’t get out of there until quite late.  This is also the month that my best friend finally ties the knot! I am absolutely so excited and honored to be a bridesmaid.  

She gets married at the end of this month, but it feels like it’s next week!  I still need to finish her wedding present, which I will probably put up a DIY or blog post for after I have finished it.  I made her a little “housewife kit” basket for her bridal shower including lots of trinkets and things that you need in the kitchen. I could also make a short post about what I put in there!  

Around Christmas everything will get super crazy.  Christmas Eve is the biggest day of the year for my Dad’s side of the family and we always have dinner followed by presents.  This year my family agreed to have lunch instead of dinner, so that I can go to my best friend’s Mehndi, which is an event before her wedding, where henna is put on and fun times are to be had by all! I think that sentence describes pretty well that I’ve never been to one.  Then Christmas Day I have morning and presents with my immediate family, followed by Christmas morning at my boyfriend’s house as well. Then we go to my Grandma’s house and do presents there.  Then I’m supposed to go back to my best friend’s house and spend the night, as the next day is her wedding!

The day of her wedding they are having professionals do the bridesmaid’s hair and makeup, which I’m super excited about, because I’ve never had both done for me! 

If I make it through those three days, I will come out a stronger person! LOL! Okay, maybe it doesn’t sound that jam packed to everyone else, but I am extremely excited and a little nervous. 

There’s a little December update for you!

💜Riley